Apparatus for end profiling and glue application in the end bonding of boards

ABSTRACT

Boards to be end to end, bonded, are arranged with corresponding ends in alignment, then profiled and smeared with glue, then shifted longitudinally in accordance with their respectively lengths to bring their opposite ends in alignment for profiling and application of glue, following which, the boards are conveyed individually in alignment to a press for end to end gluing.

United States Patent Dimter Oct. 29, 1974 [54] APPARATUS FOR END PROFILING AND 3,179,135 4/1965 Windsor 144/3 GLUE APPLICATION [N THE END 3,527,274 9/1970 Kramer ct al l44/9l BONDING 0F BOARDS FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [76] Inventor: Erwin Dimter, Rudolf-Diesel-Str. 22,763 3/1948 Finland 144/91 12, 7918 Illertissen, Germany 22 il Feb 24 1970 Primary Examiner-Donald R. Schran [21] A l.No.: 13299 pp 57 ABSTRACT 52 US. (:1 144/3 R, 144/91, 144 315, Beards to be end to end, bonded, are arranged with 144/316 corresponding ends in alignment, then profiled and 51 Int. Cl B27m 3/00, B27f 1/00 smeared with glue, their Shifted longitudinally iri [58] Field of Search 144/3, 91, 309 T, 315, evidence with their respectively lengths to bring their 144/316 opposite ends in alignment for profiling and application of glue, following which, the boards are conveyed 5 References Cited individually in alignment to a press for end to end glu- UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,868,249 1/1959 Taylor et al. 144/91 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENIEDHBT 2 m4 1844.320

SHEET 1"? 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Pmmeuumsm 3344.320

MEI 2M 2 INVENTOR E/PW/A/ fl/MfE/F ATTORNEY APPARATUS FOR END PROFILING AND GLUE APPLICATION IN THE END BONDING OF BOARDS This invention relates to an apparatus for the continuous end profiling and depositing of glue on the ends of pieces of wood to be joined to one another end to end.

It is known to provide these pieces of wood on their ends with a wedge-shaped prong or chamber profile whereupon the pieces of wood after a depositing of glue on the ends are pressed together. Thereby an endless band results which can be cut to the desired length. A drawback of this known construction is that the pieces of wood must be guided individually to the cutter and to the glue deposit. This results in a comparatively large amount of space being required for this known machine. Furthermore the machining is also not very uniform and because of the individual treatment of the pieces of wood requires a considerable amount of time. The pieces of wood to be worked on at the front or first ends in the known apparatus are gathered in a pack and must be turned around in a further working procedure. Thereby inaccurracies in the making of the profile result or a great deal of expenditure on construction and for the machine has to be incurred in order in turning the pack to obtain the same profiling on the rear or second ends.

The invention obviates these drawbacks. It is based on the problem of providing an apparatus for the continuous and profiling of and depositing of glue on pieces of wood of different lengths and approximately the same thickness can be worked on at both ends in a comparatively short time. Furthermore the delivery station of this new apparatus is to be designed such that the individual pieces can be pressed together continuously so that they form an endless band.

This problem is solved according to the invention in that the pieces of wood are aligned side by side on a work table with their front or first ends flush whereupon they are profiled by a cutter or the like guided along the first ends then transported as a pack onto an adjacent table such that their rear or second ends are flush in the working plane of the cutter whereupon the second ends are profiled by the means ofa glue depositing device.

The individual pieces which may be boards, planks or like pieces of wood are therefore profiled in a pack or en mass their front ends on the work table whereupon the second ends are likewise aligned flush and profiled on the adjacent table by the profiling apparatus. The turning around of the pieces, and the working of each piece separately is thus necessary.

The joining of the individual pieces of wood form an endless band which is exceptionally firm when both ends of the pieces are coated with glue. According to a preferred embodiment therefor the first ends of the pieces of wood are smeared with glue by means of the said glue depositing apparatus after profiling.

In order to be able to carry out the profiling as accurately as possible and also to be able to cut out any flaws in the wood in the pieces of wood the ends of the pieces according to a preferred embodiment of the subject-matter of the invention as well as any flaws in the wood are cut up or cut out approximately at right angles in a lap-saw before their transport to the work table.

In order to ensure that the work table is supplied in the desired rhythm continuously with a pack of pieces of wood it is of advantage if the pieces after cutting by the lap-saw arrive one after the other via a conveyor belt to a stop actuated by the first ends of the pieces of wood, which stop actuates a working cylinder which pushes the pieces with their first ends flush parallel to one another onto a supply table. In order that the first ends of the pieces may remain aligned flush, the pieces of wood are advantageously under tension on the sup ply table via a counter cylinder acting opposite the working cylinder.

It is especially of advantage if the pack of pieces of wood is pressed via a second working cylinder from the supply table onto the working table.

In order to be able to correct the length of the chamfers of prongs and to be able to adjust the tension of the chamfers or prongs at least one other cutter is disposed in front of or behind the milling cutter. This other cutter can saw as well have cutter discs. In co-operation with the milling cutter therefore the tension of the chamfer profile or prong can be adjusted as to how much air is present between the tips of the prong and the base of the prong of the next piece of wood to be glued. The cutter disc cut the waste immediately.

Generally two such cutters can be provided which are present in the working place of the ends of the pieces of wood which are then disposed on the work table, and are then clamped on the adjacent table. These two cutters may also be disposed on a common frame whereby it is of advantage if the distance of the two cutters is variable so that they can be adapted to the conditions desired. For the transport of the pack clamped on the work table a step or clamp may be provided which seizes the pack after the working its first and second ends and pushes the pack onto the adjacent table by which transport procedure the second ends of the whole pack are automatically brought flush with one another. In order to prevent the shorter pieces of wood from being taken along by their longer adjacent piece without being aligned at their second ends there may be connected to the stop further spring elements which press from above onto each individual piece of wood. The frictional force hereby brought about is greater than the friction of the pieces of wood with one another so that the pieces of wood are moved to one another parallel to their longitudinal direction.

After profiling and depositing of glue on both ends the pack of pieces of wood can be conveyed advantageously over a further conveyor apparatus into a press known per se such that the ends of the pieces abut against one another. The pieces of wood are then joined in this press into an endless band.

In order to prevent thepieces of wood, upon transport from the adjacent table onto this conveyor apparatus from coming into contact with the milling apparatus or with the glue supply the conveyor apparatus can form from the adjacent table to the conveyor apparatus with the direction of movement of the milling cutter an angle of about 2.

A particularly suitable construction of the conveyor apparatus results when this has a conveyor belt with different takers. These takers may thereby be angle profiles rotatable about their common edge which angle profiles at the upper side of the conveyor belt with their lower profile run out to a control bar which aligns the angle profiles. On the underside of the conveyor belt these angle profiles hang freely downwhereby they can rotate freely around their common edge whilst on the upper side of the conveyor belt upon running onto the control rail they align with their upper profile whereby each profile can seize one piece of wood.

The pieces of wood actuate advantageously on the conveyor apparatus a contact which via a magnetic coupling sets in motion the conveyor belt conveying to the press. In this way it is ensured that the conveyor belt only runs when a piece of wood is on it.

The invention is explained in more detail in the following with reference to one embodiment:

FIG. 1 shows a view of the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section through the conveyor apparatus conveying to the press;

FIG. 3 shows a section through the work table with pieces of wood and spring elements.

The individual pieces of wood arrive in the direction of the arrow 1 to a lap-saw 2. There their front or first ends are cut so that these are approximately at right an-' gles to their longitudinal extension. In this lap-saw flaws in the wood can also be cut out.

From the lap-saw 2 the individual beards, planks etc., arrive in the direction of the arrow 3 onto a conveyor belt 4 which guides them to a stop 5. This stop thereby gives contact whereby a working cylinder 6 is operated. This working cylinder then pushes the individual wood piece in the direction of the arrow 7 onto a supply table 8. This supply table is formed with gratings 9 which run perpendicularly to the direction of conveying 10 of the conveyor belt 4. The supply table 8 may also have a contact face with recesses.

A counter cylinder 11 presses by means of a lever against the working cylinder 6 so that the pieces of wood conveyed in the direction of conveying 10 are always under a certain tension. Hereby their first ends which have been aligned by the stop remain flush.

One wood piece after the other is conveyed onto the supply table 8 until this is filled, that is, until the counter cylinder 11 has moved so far in the direction of conveying that now a pack of pieces of wood with flush first ends is present which fills the width of the supply table 8.

By means of contact arrangements known per se the whole packet is pushed onto the adjacent working table 12 as soon as the supply table 8.

The tension of the pack can also take place by means of the counter cylinder 11 by means of another corresponding arrangement which, for example, from the top and/or from the side, holds together the pack, for example, by means of a brake device.

The wood pack is pressed by means of a work cylinder 13 against a stop 12a on the work table 12. Upon reaching a certain pressing pressure a contact 14 is actuated. This contact causes the wood pack to be moved in the direction of the arrow 15 by a certain distance if the work table is full and there is a sufficient pressing pressure. In this position the milling cutter 16 is then moved in the direction of the arrow 17 so that now the chamfers or prongs can be cut on the front or first ends. In front of or behind this milling cutter 18, 19 can be disposed. These cutters have saws and connecting disc which immediately cut the waste. Hereby an angular section is obtained. Furthermore, hereby the prong length is capable of being corrected. In addition the prong tension can be adjusted which depends on how much space there is between the tips of the prongs and the base of the prongs of the nextpiece of wood.

Instead of the two cutters 18, 19 a combination cutter 20 may also be provided which has discs on both sides. The distance of these two discs from one another is thus suitably adjustable.

After working the first ends 31 of the pieces of the milling cutter 16 is located in the position 32. The whole pack is now pushed by means of a bracket or stop 33 in the direction of the arrow 15. Thereby spring elements 34 grip from above onto each individual piece of wood (see also FIG. 3). These spring elements cause the friction between them and the pieces of wood in the direction of the arrow 15 to be greater than the lateral friction between the longer pieces 36 and the shorter pieces 37.

The bracket thus transports the whole pack onto an adjacent table 38 whereby the rear or second ends 39 are flush with one another.

The same working procedure now takes place by means of the milling cutter 16 which is moved in the direction of the arrow 17 into its position 32. A glue depositing apparatus 40 is then moved likewise in the direction-of the arrow 17. Milling cutters l6 and glue depositing apparatus 40 can also both be conveyed simultaneously.

The glue depositing apparatus 40 is moved therefore upon moistening both ends 31, 39 in the direction of the arrow 17 whereby upon depositing on the second end 39 it is only pivoted.

It is also possible to apply glue to the second ends 39 of the pieces in the pack when these pieces are conveyed in the direction of the arrow 42 from the adjacent table 38 in corresponding manner as from the supply table 8 to the work table 12. The glue depositing apparatus is in this case stationary. The direction of movement of the pieces of wood in the direction of the arrow 42 is displaced by about 1 to 2 degrees in respect of the direction of conveying of the milling cutter 16 so that the pieces of wood do not come into contact with the tool again. The pieces of wood new arrive on the 7 intermediate table 44 from where they are conveyed via a conveyor apparatus into the press 45.

The conveyor apparatus has a conveyor belt 46 which conveys in the direction of the arrow 47.

The manner of operation of this conveyor apparatus is explained in more detail in FIG. 2. There the case is shown where a piece of wood 48 is seized by a taker 49 of conveyor belt 46. This taker is wider than the prong profile and therefore also conveys in the direction of the arrow 47. When the wood reaches the position 50 then the taker pivots around its rotating edge due to the action of gravity into the position 51. It therefore cannot damage the prongs. It then arrives via the driving roller 53 of the conveyor belt 46 to the control bar 54 on the run on plate 55 it runs on with its under edge whereby it is again aligned in its original position.

The conveyor apparatus has a contact which serves to release the conveyor belt when this contact is closed by a piece of wood connecting with the stop 57.

The magnetic coupling 63 therefore connects the conveyor belt 46 to its driving apparatus, now shown, so that this conveyor belt is always moved when the contact 60 is closed via a wood piece to be conveyed.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for fabricating boards from pieces of random length comprising means for assembling a plurality of such pieces of random length side by side with the edges of corresponding ends in alignment, means for profiling said aligned edges, means for restraining said pieces against displacement while said aligned edges are being profiled, means, following the profiling of said aligned edges, for shifting said pieces longitudinally in order of their lengths to bring the opposite end edges of said pieces into alignment, and means for pro filing said opposite edges while in alignment.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized by means for applying a bonding agent to said end edges following the profiling thereof.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized by means for cutting through said pieces at right angles to the longitudinal axes thereof to remove unusable ends in preparation for aligning and profiling the edges of said pieces.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterizzed by said means for assembling a plurality of such pieces of random length side by side with the edges of corresponding ends in alignment as comprising means including a stop, for feeding successive pieces until the forward end of each strikes said stop, means for then laterally shifting each of said pieces in succession onto a table to form a pack with the forward edges of said pieces in alignment.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized by means for applying a downward pressure on said pieces of random length, sufficient to overcome frictional drag of the longer pieces against adjacent shorter pieces as said longer pieces are shifted longitudinally to bring their opposite end edges into alignment with the corresponding end edges of adjacent pieces in preparation for profiling said opposite end edges.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2, characterized by means for assembling said pieces in end to end relationship to bond adjacent ends thereof. 

1. Apparatus for fabricating boards from pieces of random length comprising means for assembling a plurality of such pieces of random length side by side with the edges of corresponding ends in alignment, means for profiling said aligned edges, means for restraining said pieces against displacement while said aligned edges are being profiled, means, following the profiling of said aligned edges, for shifting said pieces longitudinally in order of their lengths to bring the opposite end edges of said pieces into alignment, and means for profiling said opposite edges while in alignment.
 2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized by means for applying a bonding agent to said end edges following the profiling thereof.
 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized by means for cutting through said pieces at right angles to the longitudinal axes thereof to remove unusable ends in preparation for aligning and profiling the edges of said pieces.
 4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterizzed by said means for assembling a plurality of such pieces of random length side by side with the edges of corresponding ends in alignment as comprising means including a stop, for feeding successive pieces until the forward end of each strikes said stop, means for then laterally shifting each of said pieces in succession onto a table to form a pack with the forward edges of said pieces in alignment.
 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized by means for applying a downward pressure on said pieces of random length, sufficient to overcome frictional drag of the longer pieces against adjacent shorter pieces as said longer pieces are shifted longitudinally to bring their opposite end edges into alignment with the corresponding end edges of adjacent pieces in preparation for profiling said opposite end edges.
 6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2, characterized by means for assembling said pieces in end to end relationship to bond adjacent ends thereof. 